I actually read something VERY interesting the other day on comic book IP, which is basically that if the different movie studios don't use the movie rights to a comic book IP they have purchased from Marvel, then they lose it back to Marvel.

....and right there is the reason you're getting a lower budget Spiderman reboot, new Fantastic Four and Daredevil (yeah really) films that you didn't ask for, and a Thor 2, etc ad nauseum. Use it or lose it, and since Spiderman has made billions that's a cash cow they don't want to lose. Explains the Hulk reboot too (which before to me was baffling), and why after Avengers there will probably be another fucking Hulk movie. If you don't like comic book superheros then the 00's would have been a shitty decade.

On the other hand, all DC superheros are own exclusively by Warner Bros. studios. It's just that WB sucks at making superhero movies (bar Batman).

Doug - Hellboy 1 was OK, but Hellboy 2 was one I really enjoyed I recommend you give it a try. Spiderman 3 takes my "worst film of all time and makes me foam at the mouth in rage" award.Oz - I'm glad for my sanity you thought First Class was as bad as I did, it got inexplicably good reviews. I came out of the cinema feeling duped.

Same here Cynic. I thought it looked like total dog shit but for whatever reason, I decided to do what I never do and go see a film based on the reviews and feedback. Never again. Fassbender was good as Magneto, but he's good in everything, so no surprise there. Other than that, total waste of time and I was quite happy seeing a film that didn't have Kevin Bacon.

No doubt that all these reboots and sequels are made because they make oceans of cash, frankly the film studios would be stupid not to make them while the property's hot from a business stance, I'm just amazed the general public hasn't gotten sick of the genre by now.

That said, I'm looking forward to The Dark Knight Rises too (though mostly because Bane was great in the comics and I'm a Tom Hardy fan boy.) Spiderman I'm not excited about but I think Andrew Garfield and Rhys Ifans especially are good actors, so I might be pleasantly surprised.

I'd almost forgotten about Watchmen (and by extension 300.) Terrible films that are more examples of hype, more hype and bullshit.

You mean they're making a new Daredevil movie? I thought the first was ok for what it was - a February release about a less popular hero. I wouldn't terribly mind a DD2 on the same level, but absolutely no need or desire for a reboot.

Didn't hear anything about a new Daredevil film. Not fussed either way.

Saw American Reunion today. I really enjoyed it. It's not a comedy classic by any means but it's everything you want from an American Pie film. Stifler being a dick, Finch being awesome, naked women and Jim's dad. Credit scene was hysterical too.

That sounds decent. I just checked local showtimes and it seems I've basically missed it. It's at our old/cheap theater now and I know I won't find time to see it before it's gone. So Netflix it is, whenever it comes out.

On the 2nd tier comic rant... add Green Lantern and Green Hornet to that. I only saw the first and thought it was ok. But more to the clutter overall, especially since that was a summer movie as well.

I still haven't seen Green Lantern. I like the comics and was excited that there was a film being made and that DC were finally making a film that wasn't Superman or Batman, but when I saw the trailer I decided to leave it. However, due to going to the cinema more or less every week and seeing the trailer for months, I started to get interested. The reason I didn't see it though was because it came out the week I went to Graspop and I wanted to save my money for that, plus the week before was my X Men:First Class experience and I was in no mood for superhero films.

haha, yeah. There were a bunch of em that summer too. I think Green Lantern was one of the better DC comic movies. But it still didn't "do it" for me. It was ok, but not like I ever need to see it again.

^That's the most amount of praise I've ever seen someone give Green Lantern.

Just been to see The Dictator. Not hysterical, but very funny nonetheless. Definitely one of the better films I've seen this year. MIB3 on tuesday I think, then Prometheus the week after. Should be a gooden!

I've avoided all the trailers I could for Prometheus and don't really know what it's about - that's the best way to go into any movie if you ask me. Also it's getting fairly wintry down here in NZ so I'll spend all the time inside I can :)

EDIT: Has anyone read all the fuss about The Hobbit movie being 60fps? I am probably going to be a luddite here and guess I'm going to have a hard time transitioning to new look films.

Cynic - really? Well the funny thing is that most people I know don't know the basic premise about Prometheus and I have to explain it to them. You haven't watched any of the trailers or the couple of internet teasers? I've been eating every bit up but I won't say any more and spoil anything.

And yeah, I've been following the Hobbit too. I've heard people saying 60FPS looks too real, like a soap opera. But I'm sure they'll get it right in the end. It's also being shot at 5000 something progressive (like 5x the lines of 1080p) in 3D. It's going to be amazing quality. I don't think I'll be fussed about the 60FPS. It's actually a common complaint for new LCD/LED TV owners. Some of the shows started looking slightly low budget due to the crispness of the picture - like the lighting looked too real like you were in the room with them instead of "cinematic" somehow. I don't notice it much anymore, but I don't watch much TV either.

And on another note, I've had this movie Cashback in my Netflix queue forever now and finally decided to watch it. Wow - I was not expecting much at all, but it had a lot of elements that made it enjoyable (including a healthy dose of full frontal nudity) and reminded me of a weird mashup of Clerks, Office Space and American Pie (with a Stiffler wannabe as well). I actually really enjoyed it a lot. Anyone seen that one?

Eh, well I know there's some sort of association with Aliens, and I'm clever enough to guess various things about the plot (hell even the name of the movie gives some sort of hint) but one of the best movie going experiences I had was with Inception where I knew jack all and that really helped with appreciating the film. Same with District 9 - it turned out to be a completely different movie to what I was expecting and I like that sort of suprise.

Yeah, with the frame rate I think it's all about becoming adjusted to the way it looks. It's just unfortunate that the first big film that people are going to have to get over it with is The Hobbit. Peter Jackson and others certainly seem to think it's unquestionably the future.

Here's a great link - if you spend a while staring at each animation before scrolling to the next one, you'll find that the 60fps animation is jarringly smooth compared to 30fps. But once you've looked at it for a while you'll wonder how you ever thought 15 fps wasn't that bad.

Cynic - yeah, most people don't even know it is related to Aliens, but there are enough clues for a fan to get it.

Oz, yeah, that's it. How can you go wrong with "gratuitous nudity?" I can see some might not like it, but it struck a chord with me and the unlikable characters were all pretty funny in that American Pie/Office Space sort of way. Lots of awkward dork moments, but not over the top Ben Stiller humor that I despise. I think you might like it.

Okay assholes, I saw Dark Shadows 2 weeks ago. I was somewhat dissappointed because it wasn't as funny as I'd hoped it would be. I saw Snow White and the Huntsman last weekend with my daughter. We both hated it. Good effects, beyond that it sucked my dick so hard that I walked away a bit chaffed.